Image is focus of meeting

On Friday at 7 p.m. Wayne County District Attorney Janine Edwards and Raegan Medgie from WNEP will present “Join the Conversation” at the Honesdale High School auditorium.

By Kelly Waters

- On Friday at 7 p.m. Wayne County District Attorney Janine Edwards and Raegan Medgie from WNEP will present “Join the Conversation” at the Honesdale High School auditorium.

“Miss Representation” is a documentary film that asks boys and girls alike to think about “the effects of the images they see,” particularly the ways media affects women and girls' ability “to see themselves as leaders” and be seen as leaders “by others in society.”

Edwards and Medgie will be speaking as well.

Edwards said “the focus of us both” is to interact with the audience after the film “on ways to improve girls' perceptions of themselves.”

“The goal is to show girls that what the media presents in imagery of women is not always what they should strive for,” said Edwards. “Girls need to see strong female leaders to model themselves after. Women are objectified by the media. That needs to end. You can't be what you don't see.”

Edwards added that the objectification of women by the media hurts our girls.

“Consequences are depression, eating disorders and low self esteem,” she said. “Boys should see the film too. It opens conversations we can have with our boys that women in magazine ads or in movies who look a certain way is not realistic. Beauty is inside.”

The screening is free. Preregistration is requested and the first 150 girls to register will receive a free Miss Representation T-shirt.

To register email missrepwayne13@gmail.com or call (570) 224-4661.

The event is sponsored by Wayne County Business and Professional Women, Wayne County Drug Task Force, Wayne County Community Foundation, Wayne Highlands School District, Wayne Independent/Gatehouse Media and Bold Gold Media.